Reset search
Morocco and Spain 2023Morocco and Spain 2023
SatelliteEdit route

Morocco and Spain 2023

March - April 2023
A 29-day adventure by Maree Read more
  • 39footprints
  • 5countries
  • 29days
  • 617photos
  • 2videos
  • 38.4kkilometers
  • 36.1kkilometers
  • 679kilometers
  • 100kilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 1

    Start of an adventure

    March 13, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Flew out of Flinders on the last plane.
    Staying with Joe.
    Joe and I went to Dan's where Dan and Taylor cooked us tea for a quick catch up. Was lovely.

  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 2

    Business Class?? Yes!!!

    March 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Launceston to Melbourne on time 😊
    Melbourne to DOHA with Qatar. Yes, business class due to an upgrade. Happy 30th wedding anniversary present to me!!
    Easy check-in.

    Wowee!!! So special. Glass of bubbles, complimentary toiletries and "lounge wear". Heaps of room.
    14 hours of luxury.

    Excited!!

    Then a quick changeover at Doha and another 8 hour flight in cattle class. A reality check!! 😂😂

    We flew into Casablanca on a beautiful sunrise, then bussed off tarmac into the airport.
    Through passport control and customs easily.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 3

    Into Casablanca

    March 15, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    I made it to Casablanca with a beautiful sunrise. I got my accommodation driver to pick me up rather than try and get the train or convince a taxi driver to drive the quickest route!
    I'm glad I did as my accommodation is a Ryad ( guesthouse) in the middle of a Medina (market stalls) in the old town. Probably never would have found it!!

    Went for a long walk until my room was ready. I remembered how much I love exploring new places!!
    Casablanca is a port city and has 2 "people beaches".

    There's new clean buildings and lots of old rundown suburbs like any city, but they do all have a satellite dish!!

    Then I had an afternoon nap and fell into the trap of sleeping through so now it's 2am and I'm writing an update 😊

    This morning I'm booked to do a half day tour of Casablanca, we meet at Rick's Cafe of Casablanca the Movie fame.

    There's no Telstra roaming reception in Morocco so I can only communicate when there's wifi available. So via Messenger and email.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 4

    The Medina and Beyond tour

    March 16, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today was supposed to be a 4 hour walking/ bit of car tour of part of the city where I am - the Old Medina and mosques, etc. Turned out we just kept on going further and ended up with a 7 hour tour instead!! No extra charge!

    We met at Rick's Cafe of the movie Casablanca fame.
    There were 5 of us on tour, - a couple from Italy and a couple from San Antonio, Texas. We all got on really well and was sad to leave them really.
    Our guide was called Mohammed.

    So we walked some and a taxi drove us lots as well.
    Our guide gave us an added extra of a tour inside the Hassan II Mosque. An inside tour wasn't the deal but he took us on a private tour with himself. The other couples had to pay, I didn't because I was on an Intrepid tour or something, still don't quite get it but ok thanks 😊. It was a bit special today also because the inside was all lit up because some dignitaries had just been in. There'll be 2 pages of just photos of this Mosque, it is very beautiful. The Casablancans are very proud of it because "it is built on the water" (reclaimed land) and it has the highest minuret in Africa.

    We visited other mosques and churches. A museum or 2. Saw the slums and the rich area plus the King's home when he's in Casablanca. Apparently he lives mostly in Rabat.

    We visited the old Medina near me plus the new Medina, including an olive tasting, mint tea, pastries. There was a local rug auction in the street.
    Medina means the old walled part of a North African town

    We didn't get lunch until 3.30! Imagine how hangry I was feeling, but so was my Texan friend 😂. So eventually we had a targine of choice. Mine was chicken with lemon and olives, very nice.

    Then hometime so had another wander in the Medina markets here. Bought a couple of pottery things. I also went to the train station to buy a Telecom Maroc sim card. The bloke at the shop activated it all for me. Google maps won't work without data

    Then a light tea of a lovely Moroccan soup with bread and olives with their Moroccan mint tea.

    Turned out to be a big day.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 4

    Old Medina Museum

    March 16, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    A visit to a museum in the old Medina area tells us the story of Casablanca's history.
    We were told the original people of Morocco are the Berbers. Their language looks similar to Greek , nothing like Arabic. It is taught in schools.

    The Old Medina area is slowly getting renovated and restored.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 5

    Moving house

    March 17, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today is time to leave my Ryad and move to a hotel to join the first tour.

    Before I left I found a post office and posted some souvenirs and an excess drink bottle back home......already!!!
    I've tried to pack light but still don't have room for any excess stuff. So as I had decided to post a box, I found another nice souvenir and actually found a lapel pin with the Moroccan flag. I collect one from every country so now I have the obligatory Moroccan souvenirs, so if I don't get anymore ( no room) I'll be happy.

    My lovely reception lady at the Ryad suggested I get the tramway to my next hotel. It's only 3 km away but a bit of a trek with luggage.
    Turns out it was a great suggestion as both ends of the journey are very close to the hotels. And only 8 dirhams or about $1 AUD. I had a very helpful tram assistant show me how to get my ticket. It's a cardboard ticket but must have a microchip or something in it because you tap on and off like in Australia. Felt right at home. Followed Google maps so I knew when to get off. Hotel Al Walid was right there.
    If I'd taken a taxi I could have ended up anywhere!!

    There's also a major train station here so went to Starbucks for a salad lunch. A bloke came in and looked at me twice and said " you were at the Ryad yesterday weren't you?" I looked at him twice and answered "yes, that's right you were at breakfast!" Nice to be noticed 😂 He's on his way on the train up to Tangier.

    Casablanca has been a cultural immersion for sure. Not just the cultural expectations but the fact the English is not a first language, it's probably a fourth. I was told that there are now more English speaking tourists than French ones now so that might change. English is taught in high school apparently but not high on their agendas.
    I feel comfortable pretending I'm a local and so don't tend to get picked on too much if I look like I'm "on business". Have learnt it's ok to be rude (with a smile) to the men who hassle you for a taxi ride or go into their market stall.

    When people ask where I'm from I show them my kangaroo key chain on my bag and say Australia!! Most people know the kangaroo. "You from Sydney?" Ummm, no.

    Traffic is chaotic with lots of horn bipping. There are many pedestrian crossings but driver's ignore them so crossing a road can be perilous. I generally go with the thought that there's safety in numbers so usually cross with others or if a car actually stops!

    I'm ready to move on and be a part of a group now.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
    Day 6

    Day 1 North Morocco tour

    March 18, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Up early to catch the 8.30 train to Rabat. It takes 1 hour.
    Rabat is the capital of Morocco and is very clean and more European/Greek looking.
    We have 4 hours to walk around a bit of Rabat and have lunch. We walk through market streets to go the Kasbah des Oudaia which is very pretty. White walls and blue paint, reminding people of Greece. It's like a little village with tiny stepped streets. There are stalls here too, a small botanical garden.
    2 of us have some Moroccan biscuits and a thick Moroccan coffee.
    My Moroccan sim card came in handy today. I was the only with reception so it was my phone we used for our self-guided Googlemap walk

    Then back on the train for 2 hours to Meknes. Catch 3 taxis to get us to our overnight accommodation up in the hills. Moulay Idriss
    Our luggage is taken up the steep steps by mules. This place also has steep narrow streets, only a mules width.
    We stay in a family guesthouse and have a very scrumptious Moroccan meal.
    Before dinner we had a walk around this village and watched the sun set.
    There is a mosque here too we aren't allowed to visit. Also a village square with stalls, food stalls, kids playing soccer. It looked like families came out to have a nice time.
    The guesthouse is very nice too.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English